Complications in Calcutta
by anorakofavalon
Summary: Natasha's been sent to collect or protect Bruce a little earlier than intended, whichever comes first. She's not surprised it's the latter. To evade capture, they go on the run with the US Military on their heels and the threat of the Hulk following like a shadow. All things considered, though, Natasha doesn't mind too much. The Doc's pleasant company - when he's around, that is.
1. A Spider Spies a Scientist

**A/N: This fic was inspired by the song "Move!" by Saint Motel. Go check out the music video on YouTube. It's a 360 degree virtualizer and it's awesome. Anyways, I listened to the song and had a stray thought about post cards and, well, this was born.**

**This is a little bit AU, as it takes place before Loki swiped the Tesseract from SHIELD and Clint was brain-washed, maybe by a month or two. Which basically means that Natasha and Banner's meeting got started slightly earlier. **

**I hope you enjoy my writing, and where I plan to take both Banner and Romanoff. **

_This man, this dutiful man, has got this sense of devotion._

* * *

"Agent Romanoff."

The glass door inched closed behind her as she walked into his office with a cup of coffee in her hand. The Director was standing by a window, staring out into the blue of the skies with his hands characteristically clasped behind his back.

Clint used to joke that the glass was the only thing that kept him from reaching down below and controlling things on Earth himself. Sometimes she was sure it was the truth.

Natasha didn't watch him too long. She had been on the helicarrier so often these days that she had gotten sick of looking out of windows, but Nick must have seen something in the vastness that she couldn't.

She quirked a smile when he turned to her. "Fury."

"Long time no see."

She sipped on her coffee as she took a seat."It's been precisely a day and a half. Not that I'm complaining, but you don't usually call in on weekends."

He raised an eyebrow. "It's a Tuesday, Agent Romanoff."

"After dealing with Stark for the past couple of days? Let's just say I'm glad he's wrapped up business here. Feels like a Friday."

"Well then, the good news is it'll be an exciting weekend for you."

Natasha was quite certain that whatever he had in mind would most definitely not be exciting. "What've you got in mind? A party?"

"Something like that. There's been a… complication in Calcutta, Agent. It involves Dr. Banner."

That piqued her interest. Last she had heard, Banner had left Bella Coola and was making his way to Asia. "I'm assuming it's not a complication of the green variety."

"Not quite. Or at least not quite yet. General Ross and his friends seem to have localized our man. It looks like they intend to take him _in_ or take him _out_. Whichever it is, I'd much rather they didn't."

Natasha grimaced."Ross would be operating out of his jurisdiction by sending men after Banner."

"He's operating on a different jurisdiction entirely. You've read Banner's file Romanoff, I'm sure you can put two and two together. Hate is an international sort of affair."

"You seem strangely attached to the Big Guy, Director." She smirked, glancing up from her raised cup. "Got a crush?"

She wasn't surprised she didn't get a rise out of him – she rarely did – but she was ready to bet that he was amused deep, deep inside.

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in Dr. Banner." He took a seat and pulled something up on a tablet. "I need you to track down and protect our esteemed green scientist. If possible, bring him to us. I was going to wait a little bit, but With Rogers de-icing a few days ago and Stark building up relationships here at SHIELD, we might need him sooner rather than later."

She read through the briefing briefly, pinpointing everything vital. Something caught her eye.

"He's helping people?"

"According to the rumor mill. Foreign man shows up in a city like that and starts offering medicine and care for free? He was bound to get noticed."

She presented her theory carefully. "He must be fairly in control of himself if he's confident enough to go into a city like Calcutta."

"I believe he learned a thing or two during his stay in Canada, Romanoff."

She pushed on. It was a futile question, in so far as neither she nor Fury could get a firm answer to that without talking to the man himself, but she was fishing for something else – she wanted Fury's opinions on the Doc. "So why Calcutta? Why not try to start a life somewhere else?"

Fury looked at her evenly. She was sure he knew what she was searching for, but he decided there was no harm in the truth – though he wouldn't give her all of it. "Bruce Banner is a man who was turned into something he never wanted to be, and hurt people he never wanted to hurt. Maybe he's trying to do what good he can. But if Ross gets his hand on him, that'll be good for no one."

Natasha contemplated it for a moment, and decided she was willing to take on the mission. "How many men has Ross sent out?"

Fury's lip twitched upward. "A significant number."

"So do I get to pick my team this time or is that a privilege reserved for Phil?"

"Agent Romanoff – you _are_ the team."

**/\**

Fury hadn't lied when he said it would be just her. Well, at least technically. She was the only agent, but she didn't at all come alone or unarmed. She had about twenty foot soldiers, all wielding Hulk-grade weaponry, and all _very _nervous. Agent Hill said they were Hulk-grade, but that was more of a theoretical. Natasha only hoped that today wouldn't be the day they found out if SHIELD's labs were up to par.

She read Banner's file over for a fourth-or-maybe-fourteenth time as their carrier began a landing sequence. In the picture on the file he bore a soft smile, a haphazardly arranged mop of black hair, and glasses that were ready to parachute off of his nose at any moment. Natasha had a hard time reconciling Dr. Banner with the monstrosity that had destroyed Harlem, but as she flicked down to the video she felt flutters of fear again.

People had a misconception that she never felt anything akin to fear as a spy or an assassin. It was a silly notion. Fear kept her alive. On a chemical level, the adrenaline rush is her biggest combat advantage against someone foolish enough not to be afraid. Fear was often wisdom in her line of work, and caution went a long way. But acting on that fear was what made her strong. The Hulk was different, in a sense. No amount of adrenaline would keep her alive against something like that.

"Agent, we have landed. What do we do?" said one of the soldiers.

She dismantled her fears briskly, for now. They wouldn't be useful yet.

"We're about a mile south of our base. I'm going to need to head out now in order to lure him there. Keep the carrier on stealth, and I want someone on the pilot's seat at all times until the mission is over. We could have a take-off at any moment in case containment fails."

Base was perhaps more comfortable of a word than their little shack probably deserved to have applied to it. But it was on the edge of the city, it was cheap, and it would do. More importantly, every inch was covered in cameras, microphones, and more than enough weapons for her to pull from. What she would lack in concealment with her outfit would be made up for on-location.

She looked the group over for a moment and continued. "I want a perimeter on the building _after_ he steps in. Until then, keep to the trees and keep hidden. Don't close in until I say and do _not_ shoot until I give an express order. We don't want to make mountains out of molehills boys."

A loose chuckle.

She looked out a window. The sun was beginning to dwindle, slowly. "Start making the trek to your positions at sundown. Look alive gentlemen."

Natasha stepped out of the carrier and made her way to the city. She'd need to get eyes on the target first and foremost. She was already dressed for the occasion, wearing a two piece outfit with a shawl over her shoulders. Natasha opted for earthy and neutral colors. If the Hulk were to come out to play, she wanted to blend in as much as possible with the colors of the shack. Regardless, it was form-fitting and seduction would be possible if need be – not that she expected such a need at all. Maybe it was intuition, but she highly doubted Banner would be persuaded by something like that.

She stepped into the crowd from the off-road she had taken, passing the shack, and began to make her way to the city proper. It was crowded and saturated by the scents of a variety of local foods, and the sounds of bikes ringing and people chattering.

She took a moment and turned a corner into a fabrics shop, where they had bolts of all types of silk and wool and cotton on display in a variety of colors and designs. She pulled out her phone and checked where their scouting agents had last seen Banner. Three blocks away in a green house, the text said. She almost grinned at the coincidence, but the mention of the color brought up her apprehension about the mission.

Sun was setting at last, and she received a message from the one she had put in charge on the carrier. The men were en route to their positions. Natasha pursed her lips and looked up through the fabrics. She stepped away from the shop and spotted a little girl. Beckoning her in the local tongue, Natasha crouched down to her eye level and spoke in the voice she had always used with Cooper and Lila Barton. She pulled out some money and gave her a little quest.

The earnest excitement in the girl's eyes gave Natasha all the assurance she needed that the girl would come through. Telling her where to find the shack, Natasha thanked her, and sent her off to the green house with Dr. Banner. She began her walk to the base.

She was in position when she heard the little girl's rushed steps through the shack and a brief little grunt as she popped out through a window.

Dr. Banner sighed and chuckled at once. "Should have got paid up-front Banner" he said to himself.

He was wearing a tweed jacket, slacks, and a flesh-pink dress shirt. Same color as her shawl. His hair was a mop of black, like in the picture, except longer, and lightly sprinkled with gray hairs. His shoulders were tense, likely because he was already aware he was in a trap, but he didn't seem overly concerned.

It was a strange sort of confidence. Like he was afraid _of_ the world and afraid _for_ it all at once.

She stepped out of her spot and put on her own brand of confidence, despite the fear creeping up through her spine. It was different seeing him in person. He could snap at any moment and she would die a very short and brutal death. With that thought she spoke up.

"You know, for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress you picked a..." she let her eyes roam the shack, as if it was her first time there,"hell of a place to settle."

He turned around quickly enough. He was surprised she was a woman, and yet not. He put down his bag, tense, and took a step back. She wondered, briefly, if he was going to simply run away. He didn't.

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret." Dr. Banner said, putting a little bit of distance between them. That wouldn't do. She needed to guide him closer to the table, where she at least had a weapon. Being seated would calm him.

She toyed with putting on a facade in her personality, but ultimately went with the truth. He was wary enough as it stood. The only person she was lying to now was herself, but being afraid was something she had learned to deal with long ago.

"So what is it? Yoga?" Her eyebrow quirked as she gazed at him steadily, openly. It was the first thought to cross her mind, but it also served the purpose of establishing repertoire, hopefully.

He didn't take it, though he was somewhat amused. Clearly his nerves outweighed his humor at the moment- he looked skittish. He wrung his hands together tightly, contemplating the shack as he nodded to himself. It was almost like he was comforting himself with his hands. He finished assessing his surroundings and began to move towards the window, further from her part of the room than before.

"You brought me to the edge of the city, smart." He commented as he inspected the darkness outside. "I, uh, I assume you have the place surrounded?"

Ten points to Dr. Banner. "Just you and me" she said. She moved to put her shawl on the chair near the table and stepped towards him, shoulders now bare. If it didn't work to appeal to his sensual side, then it created the illusion that she was at ease in his presence. He watched her, but asked a question before she could speak again.

"And your actress buddy?" He pointed to the room where the girl had made her little escape. "Is she a spy too? They start that young?"

His hands were clasped together once more as he yet again created a little bit of distance. It was getting to be a little frustrating but she answered evenly with a ghost of a shrug. Perhaps the truth would serve in her favor again. It was somewhat refreshing – the truth was a tool she didn't often have the occasion to use.

"I did."

"And who are you?"

"Natasha Romanoff."

He looked at her and stopped moving. He stood firmly in place, spine slightly straighter. Moment of truth. He made some more motions with his hands – why did he keep doing that? It was distracting. He looked down at the floor briefly before looking back up and speaking at last.

"Are you here to kill me Ms. Romanoff? Because," he shook his head, "that's not gonna work out...for everyone." A little smile, ironic and grim. Vaguely threatening.

She didn't deliberate too long on answering, but her heart was beating just a step too quick. "No, no, of course not." She stepped closer. It was like approaching a cornered animal. "I'm here on behalf of SHIELD."

He looked away from her and contemplated that. She wasn't sure if he was already familiar with the agency, but he didn't particularly seem to care. She imagined he wouldn't. A guy like him has probably heard from a lot of organizations with fancy acronyms.

"SHIELD," he sounded out, testing it. He looked to her briefly. She tilted her head, an invitation for him to ask what he wished to ask.

"How'd they find me?"

"We never lost you, doctor. We've… kept our distance." She smiled slightly, not that he'd see it. He was looking firmly at the ground. "Even helped keep other interested parties off your scent."

"Why?"

"Nick Fury seems to trust you." She kept her eyes open and as warm as she could. Non-threatening. "But now we need you to come in."

He didn't blink as he raised his head to answer her. "What if I said no?"

Now things were getting a little tense. She couldn't get a read on him, which threw her off balance more than she already was. Natasha couldn't figure out whether he was giving her a hypothesis, or presenting a firm answer.

She opted for more confidence. "I'll persuade you." She let her words hang in the air.

He didn't take the bait. His tongue swept briefly out of his mouth to wet his lips and he spoke quietly. "And what if the _Other Guy_ says no?"

Her heart was a step and a half ahead of its normal pace. He scrutinized her now. It was a test, or maybe he just wanted to see how she would react to that.

She didn't drop her slight smile, and she began moving as she spoke, guiding him closer to her table. "You've been more than a year without an incident I don't think you want to break that streak." Confidence was the key.

She glanced back at him as she moved, briefly, and watched him push a wooden cradle back and forth as he responded.

"Well I don't every time get what I want." It was delivered in a soft voice, resigned, and she felt sympathy for the Doc. Couldn't he have children? That would have been on the file, right? Or maybe him and Elizabeth Ross had plans for a child before the accident?

She gave him a private moment as she pulled up a file on her phone. She also took the moment to give a status update to her soldiers. All was well for now.

Regardless, if the need arose, the moment she pulled any weapon from its spot in the room, they would know to deploy.

She glanced up at him from her spot. He hadn't moved from his position by the cradle, but his shoulders were somewhat less tense. He trusted her – to an extent.

"Doctor." She made sure her voice was all business now. He already knew she was an agent, so there was no need to pretend too much. Especially now that he was comfortable. "We're facing a potential global catastrophe."

He chuckled. "Oh those I _actively_ try to avoid."

She appreciated the humor, but he had to know she was serious. She moved to the table.

"This," she showed him the phone from where he stood, but he'd have to come closer to see what it was, "is the tesseract." She took a seat and slid the phone across the table, inviting him to take a seat as well.

He got closer and pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his coat pocket. He approached the table and took the phone for a closer look, but he didn't sit down. That was unsettling. She had no idea how to get him to trust her.

"It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet." She informed him.

It was strange looking at him from where he stood. The science was clearly attractive to him, his eyes seemed curious from what she could tell as the blue of the screen illuminated his face.

He looked up, but when he didn't find her, lowered his gaze to where she was seated. It was a bemusing moment, and betrayed the fact that he was caught up in thought already.

"What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?"

She was impressed that he remembered the name of her superior. She had only mentioned it in passing, but he took in the small detail. His joke wasn't horrible either, but it dripped with self-depreciation and sarcasm in a heady mix that she would have found amusing if she wasn't so damn afraid.

She leaned forward to take back her phone. "He wants you to study it at one of our labs. We've had people analyze it, the best of the best but..." She put as much earnestness as she could in her voice.

"There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was..." she leaned back in her chair, seemingly relaxed and open, but she felt the mounting tension and her hand was carefully poised on her lap. Just under the table. Close to her gun. "That's where I'd be."

His face was amused. She had a bad feeling. "So Fury isn't after the monster?"

Fury very well might have been."Not that he's told me."

"And he tells you everything?" Ten more points to Dr. Banner. She wasn't overly fond of where this was heading.

"Talk to Fury, he needs you on this."

"Needs me in a cage?" Uh oh.

She made a mistake and tried for a little lie. She made to reach out to him across the table in a gesture of openness with one hand. The other edged closer to her weapon. "No one's going to put you in a cage -"

"Stop _lying_ to me!" He slammed his hands on the table and her heart dropped faster than she ever could have imagined. When it picked up pace again less than a second later, it was sprinting in her chest. The gun was out and in her hand, cocked and ready to fire, her body in a defensive stance, and all of it happened before she even came close to registering exactly who she was pointing it at.

In a moment her entire perspective shifted, the entire conversation. She never had even a semblance of control here.

She pointed the weapon steadily, catching her breath. Any control she _did_ have would have gone out the window when he turned green anyways. She suddenly rued the pistol in her hand. It would have been useless. But- maybe not. Banner wasn't green. As a matter of fact he didn't look even half as distressed as she felt.

He pulled back from the table with a little smirk. Her heart pounded so hard it almost hurt. "I'm sorry," he said, "that was mean."

He raised his hands in a conciliatory fashion. "I just wanted to see what you'd do."

She started at him disbelievingly over the barrel of her gun. Tears had gathered in her eyes, despite herself. She thought of all the people she would miss if she had died. The Bartons, first and foremost. Fury, Coulson, Hill. All of that could have been taken from her in a moment and she would have had _no_ control over it. That was what scared her the most.

Banner continued softly. "Why don't we do this the easy way where you don't use -" he pointed to her weapon "_that_ – and the other guy doesn't make a mess?"

"Okay? Natasha?" He had used her first name. His voice was comforting. It was a confirmation of sorts that he had seen right through the veil of confidence she had projected, not just to him but to herself.

She lowered her gun slowly and raised her hand to her earpiece.

"Stand down, we're good here" She instructed shakily..

She heard the weapons click as they began to step back. She, too, stepped away from Banner and re-considered her opinions. She knew he wasn't a fool, but he was quicker than she thought. He had outmaneuvered her entirely, and forced her on the defensive. That was rare.

The idea contrasted sharply with the sight of him now, wringing his hands together, staring at her wryly. "Just you and me, huh?"

A shaky breath from her end. She put the gun on the table and blinked away any lingering doubt. "Thirty points to Dr. Banner" she tried to joke.

He played along now. "You've been counting too? I counted forty, but my math may be wrong."

She chuckled, breathing still a little unstable, but better. "So, I take it you're coming along? I think you owe me after that scare."

He looked guilty. "I suppose I do. Sorry, again. It really was rude of me but I-" his hands wandered around. "I have trouble trusting."

She nodded and began to move to collect her shawl, but was forced quickly to freeze in place when she heard gunfire. Lots of it. Bruce heard it too. He looked up at her wildly. The question was obvious.

"Those weren't my men." She answered quickly. She tried to reach her lieutenant. The line was dead. Somebody cut off comms. More gunfire. She quickly came to a conclusion, and it wouldn't be good for anyone.

"Dr. Banner I need you to please stay calm and get close to the ground."

A bullet shot through one of the walls of the wooden shack, and the discharges got louder. She heard yelling loud and clear now, as well as grenades.

"Remember what I said about other interested parties?" She asked, crouching near him, pistol in hand.

He nodded, eyes wild.

She put her hand on his shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. She didn't have any facades now. "I think they've crashed ours. I need you to stay calm, okay? I swear I'm going to get you out of this and into safety."

Her heart was calmer now, in the face of gunfire. Guns she could deal with. Guns were familiar. She could control the situation.

Various more shots burst through the wooden shack, hitting the wall opposite them. The bullets were big. They passed right through those walls as well.

Natasha began to form a plan. Pistol raised, she chanced to rise from beneath the table. She began firing.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked it! I have the rest of the story planned out; it's not going to be long, maybe around seven chapters, but I likely won't be able to get to typing up the next chapter because I have finals coming up soon. And Endgame, of course. **

**It was my first time writing anything set in the modern world, and definitely my first time writing Natasha, Fury, and Banner. **

**Please feel free to review!**


	2. Bruce and the Black Widow

_Head, shoulders, knees, toes_

_Look alive, it's time to go._

* * *

Ross' plan was terrible. Actually, she was certain it was half-baked at best. Maybe his soldiers did have a plan, but if they did, it was quickly abandoned in the face of SHIELD. She wasn't sure what exactly Ross hoped to accomplish with an ambush on Banner. Did he hope to sedate him before he transformed? Or was the objective to set him off, make the world see the monster?

Whatever his intentions, he clearly wasn't expecting SHIELD. His men weren't either, and thus a skirmish came to fruition. She knew her field soldiers wouldn't have too much trouble with the military men, but from the sound of it, they were quite outnumbered. It seemed that Ross chose to make up for firepower with manpower.

A few of Ross' boys, the more foolish or brave ones leaked into the shack. Black Widow fully intended to make the foolish ones wise up and the brave ones a little more afraid. The first one was quick to fire at her with a rifle, hoping that his bullets would catch her by surprise. They didn't.

She kept an eye on Banner from her peripheral. He seemed to have a handle on himself, but he was clearly not overly fond of the situation. As she launched herself at the idiot with the AR-15, she wondered if this even ranked in the doctor's top ten worst days ever. From what she read in his file, though, it probably didn't break top five. She'd ask later.

She kicked up the nozzle of the first guy's gun. Bullets pounded at and through the ceiling, splintered wood and dust raining on them. She jabbed at his jugular and hooked a hand around his neck, bringing his head quickly down to her knee. He resisted, but it wasn't enough. She felt his nose crack and his body droop. Spotting a second and third man filtering into the room, she used her victim's body as a launching pad and kicked out at the other two.

Her momentum propelled her foot into the jaw of the one on her right and she felt the hit connect with a grim satisfaction. He spun from the impact. His body obstructed his pal from lifting up a weapon and she took his hesitation as an opportunity to make sure he couldn't do much harm either. She fired her fifth shot that day, bullet landing right where she wanted it: his shoulder. It was non-fatal, but she wasn't aiming to kill. Ross had already done enough damage to SHIELD and US Army relations, Natasha didn't want to give him more reasons to stray from their grasp.

She felt the gunfire outside quiet slightly, and she knew that her boys were commencing a retreat. The plan, if there was a Hulk-out, was for them to return to the carrier jet. The unspoken assumption was that she likely wouldn't live through a Hulk incident, or that if she did, that she would find her way to a safe house and send for pickup. Yet here she was. Natasha was grateful they had the presence of mind to retreat in the face of their unexpected assailants.

All things considered, an attack by the US Army was probably one of the better outcomes.

She walked over to Bruce and offered him a hand up. He took it. It was as much an act of chivalry as strategy; she wanted to know his pulse, and she got it. She felt his heart thrum steadily where her index finger met the inside of his wrist. She checked his eyes, no green. Just brown.

He smiled toothy and grim. There was a secret there, like he knew something she didn't. He didn't comment, except to say "I'm good."

He called her on her bluff, again, but she wasn't terribly bothered by it. There were other things at stake that were more pressing than her pride alone. Natasha elected to deal with getting caught red-handed by ignoring it entirely, blowing right on through with the conversation. "Doc, listen to me. They're probably still out there. If I tell you to duck, you duck. I tell you to run, you run. I'll find you. Got it?"

Banner nodded, watching her steadily. "Clearly," he waved his hand in the direction of the bodies on the ground, some of them writhing still writhing in pain, "you know what you're doing."

She smirked and motioned her head over in the direction of the room the girl she hired escaped through earlier. She decided that the best place to escape from was through there. There was certainly going to be fighting in the front, but she had no doubt some of Ross' men took the opportunity to circle around back. The smart ones at least. She doubted there were many.

Gun steady on her right hand, she put her ear to the wall and listened. The wood of the shack was not awfully thick, so it wasn't too much trouble to hear the clamoring of weapons and whispered instructions. She stood away from the wall, and put her gun right to where her ear was before. She fired, and was rewarded with a yelp of pain as the bullet hit one of the men. She tossed herself through the window, landing on the other side with her shoes digging into the dirt beneath her.

She didn't dedicate any time at all to looking at her surroundings. Not that she needed to, but she was particularly pressed for time. There were three men by where she landed. The one she injured was clutching at his thigh, and the other two were far too surprised to do much as she started an attack. This was time sensitive, Ross would have known about SHIELD's presence and either doubled down with reinforcements or pulled out altogether. Given that she was still kicking some of his soldier's asses, he had chosen to double down.

She would too.

With two down, she had one more left. She was going to take the opportunity to restore her energies a little, but she heard grunting from the inside, and fists hitting flesh. She didn't waste any time on her last victim, sending him into a long nap by butting her gun against his temple.

She peered in through the window to assess the situation. No green guy yet. Banner was exchanging blows with a soldier, and a gun was lying in the corner. Which means that he had knocked it out of the man's hands. She raised an eyebrow when he delivered a heavy punch, knocking his opponent back a little. His eyes flickered over to her and she noted they were green. She shot the soldier who sneaked in through the front and motioned for the doctor to climb out the window. He was breathing heavily. Clawing for the humid air of the night to come into his lungs. It was dark outside.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Doc."

He grunted in amusement as he sucked in air, hands on his knees. It was unruly breathing at first, as he sought to settle himself, but his breathing gave into a pattern quickly enough. Soon, he was calm enough to nod his assent on moving forward. It was about time, too. She grabbed his left arm and moved cautiously through the back of the shed, keeping Banner's body slightly behind hers. She was pleased when he ducked a little, to match her height. At least he had some semblance of self-preservation. Or maybe it was everyone-else-preservation. Whatever it was, she was glad. It made her mission somewhat easier.

The field was empty and quiet, except for the sound of about two tanks heading in their direction. No doubt the local law enforcement had gotten word of the debacle. Natasha wouldn't have been at all surprised if Ross had worked some deal with the local army to help his persecution.

They needed to get out of here. She looked out to the sky and spotted the carrier jet taking off. They were alone.

Banner tracked her eye line and sighed, spotting their ride. He took her brief moment of hesitation to mean that she wasn't sure what to do now, and he tapped her shoulder, walking forward. "Follow me. I know where to hide."

It was only somewhat presumptuous, and she might've been offended if she actually was sure what to do. She knew where they had to get to, but was planning on winging it in order to avoid the soldiers. Natasha made back-up plans for her back-up plans, but most of those revolved around a Hulk-incident for this mission. The army showing up never really figured into her calculations. She really was hoping to wing it.

Still, she chastised him. "Who's protecting who here?"

There was no delay in his response. "Do you frequent Calcutta often, Agent?"

Fair point. Moot, given that she had memorized the satellite imagery of the immediate area, but fair nonetheless.

She was going to offer a response of her own, but they heard the sound of helicopters approaching. "We have to move Banner" was what she said instead. Clearly local enforcement was ready for a Hulk incident. She had been too, but today was full of surprises for everyone.

He began walking and she followed, hiding her firearm. She had to get creative, given her current apparel, but Natasha wasn't anything if not innovative.

Bruce glanced back every now and then, but he was surprisingly discreet about checking for his hunters. As they moved into the city, she relaxed, but only infinitesimally. Crowds were always a good thing to be in for someone with a job like her. Bruce navigated them like a pro.

It was quite an interesting thing to behold, how he shifted ever so slightly into the delicate state of being totally invisible. Bruce kept his shoulder set, but not too high and not too rigid. His posture was rooted in a pliable place. He could look confident to the people who were looking to impose on the malleable. He could look meek to the people who needed the assurance that they were stronger than everyone else. And all of this accomplished with the bearing of his body and the dispositions of his mind.

It was effective because it was true of him in either case, he just had to choose which personal truth to admit to depending on the circumstance. She could appreciate that. Understand it. It was a language she spoke fluently. She was intrigued that he had stumbled upon the grammar of it by sheer necessity. The tongue of fluidity was hard to spot and harder to learn in a world rooted in foolishly firm dialects of being.

But as good as he was, Bruce slipped up. A Sargent from the local forces was scanning the crowds of the bustling street market they had just entered. It was firmly nighttime already, but the city was alive and well. Bruce stopped firmly in his tracks when he saw the official, and he looked to her. She tugged on his hand and guided him towards a stall with bolts of clothing. The very one she had stopped at earlier, in fact.

"Pretend like you're browsing." She instructed. He did. Natasha took the opportunity to sweep the market.

Military personnel were filling in the cracks between pedestrians. A trap for Banner, which indicated they knew he was on the run. People became uneasy, a frantic quiet swooping in. No guns were being wielded, but nobody was particularly happy to have their evening interrupted.

She spotted Bruce inspecting a red silk. He was in a corner by the back exit. She made to move closer to him when a soldier stepped into the perimeter of the shop, browsing for anything suspicious, or maybe some fabrics for himself. Whatever it was, he found it. Near Bruce.

He glanced over at her briefly, eyes flecked with the colors of fear. She had to act soon or he would bolt. That wouldn't be particularly good.

Natasha chose an old trick. Notching her vocal range up a few levels and orienting it towards a Californian inclination she squeaked in surprised glee, loudly. "Ben! Is that you?"

Both the soldier and Bruce were startled enough to look her way, but Bruce was careful to keep his back to the soldier. She moved towards him with quick steps, arms open for an embrace. "What on Earth are you doing here?"

She didn't give "Ben" any time to do anything other than accept her embrace. Bruce's height was a tactical advantage here, and she made sure that her hair would cover his face from the soldier's line of sight as he bent down to wrap his arms around her. The man looked as uncomfortable as Bruce probably felt. The Doc's hands hovered on her skin, not really committing to touching her.

She was partially amused, partially annoyed. All that brain power and it's gone in an instant with a hug. "Act like you're happy to see me."

She felt Bruce nod a little and she let go, shifting back into her persona. She'd let Bruce name her. As much as this situation was dangerous, she was curious what he'd come up with. And besides, she needed to think of exit strategies. That meant she didn't have time to deliberate on things like names.

"Nora!" He smiled brightly, but his eyes were tense. "I didn't know you'd be around here." He didn't do much to his voice, but his posture changed, and the rhythm of his speech. Nora was an interesting name. She had expected him to go for something more generic, but she was pleasantly surprised. Natasha expected that this would perhaps become a common trend with the scientist.

There was an alley behind this building that could lead them out to another crowded street. That might give Bruce the flexibility to get to his safe place. The soldier was looking away now, deciding that both of them were harmless, and more importantly, not Bruce Banner. It was common knowledge that Banner traveled alone. Well, common knowledge was a bit of a stretch. The Military knew, at any rate.

"Well, all my friends have come to India for vacation so I figured I'd do the same, y'know? Gotta love the culture!" She was being obnoxious, but Ben-Bruce nodded enthusiastically.

"Great food, too!" That was an offer at an exit, whether he knew it or not, and she took it happily.

"Absolutely. I just got to this city though, so maybe you can show me somewhere good to eat?"

He nodded again, and motioned for the door when she stopped him with a squeak. "Wait! Nikky's never gonna believe this. I have to send a picture."

She angled him so that she could get the US soldiers in the background of the photo as she wrapped an arm around his waist and snapped a photo with a "smile!"

She got a reply within five seconds of sending it. "Dhaka" was Nick Fury's response to her selfie with the Hulk in front of a group of soldiers. Incredible. "Ready to go?"

"After you" he said, sweeping his hand towards the more discreet side-door. She took that to be Ben-Bruce speak for Get me the hell out of here.

They chattered aimlessly as they left and they didn't stop until they were just outside of the building. She motioned for Bruce to pause and listened to the soldier inside give the all clear for Banner. Once he did, they began walking in the opposite direction, to another busy street. She wasn't speaking, but her bearing was her own once more, and so was Bruce's. Natasha walked near him nonetheless, swiping a cap from a vendor and pulling it onto Bruce's head. She set the pace, making sure they were moving at a respectably calm speed. Leisurely, like the tourists they were supposed to be. She felt Bruce's arm tense whenever she bumped into him, but other than that he focused on getting to his destination, though he was clearly fighting the urge to run away. He probably knew that most certainly wouldn't work.

Although a small part of her wished he did. She wished he'd go away to another foreign country, manage to escape their reach and find a little bit of peace. But that wasn't the mission, and for their purposes it wouldn't be ideal at all. "You didn't do too bad, Ben."

He smirked a little. "Ben, huh?"

"Better than Nora."

"Nora's unique."

They turned a corner. "It's not terrible."

Bruce didn't comment as they made their way up the stairs to the green house he was in earlier, where she had sent the girl to collect him. Not going back to his own place was very likely a good call.

He knocked on the door and began a sheepish explanation of his situation in the local dialect. It was heavily redacted from what she could understand, but whether because of language barriers or a desire to continue pretending to be a somewhat regular civilians, she couldn't tell. The woman smiled happily and cut him off before he could finish stammering through an apology, waving them in.

"She had offered dinner before but..." Bruce scratched at the back of his head as he put down his bag in a corner of the room.

Natasha decided that she was going to mess with him. It's what he deserves for the stunt he pulled in the shack. "Isn't she a little too old to take you out for dinner? Not that I'm judging of course, but..."

Bruce blushed furiously, but fired back even as his face reddened slightly. "Looks like Nora isn't the only one who wanted me to take her to dinner, Agent Romanoff."

She chuckled at that. They would definitely be getting along.

The older woman offered them a room, but it was a humble home, and both she and Bruce rejected the notion outright. They'd sleep on the floor. Besides, they'd be on the move come morning anyways. There wasn't too much time for sleep. Natasha had gone days without it, and has slept in more uncomfortable situations. It wasn't a stretch to imagine that the same applied to Bruce.

Bruce had to kindly decline dinner three times before the woman assented to not cooking them dinner. She had wanted to re-heat some food for them, but it was clear she had already put away her pots and pans, cleaned the plates. He didn't want to make her stay up any later than she usually would.

The lady set out some sheets and pillows for them, determined to make the floor as much of a comfortable experience as possible as a sort of recompense for not cooking for them, and she didn't leave until she was certain that neither of them would be overly uncomfortable. They thanked her, and they were engulfed by darkness when she turned off the lights on her way to her own bed with her now-healed husband, who slept through the whole situation.

"Y'know," Natasha said, "I really could have used some dinner after all."

Bruce scoffed from where he was, a few feet away from her, where he could watch both her and the door. He was wary, but he trusted her enough for this. Whatever this was. She doubted he would sleep, and frankly neither would she. But plunging anyone in the darkness with her was a veritable danger, and he had enough trust in her to sit tight. Not run away. To join her, even. She could work with that. She appreciated that.

She decided that Dr. Banner best responded to earnestness, honesty. He expected none of that from her, and she set out to get revenge for all the times he threw her off a little by throwing him off too. "Thanks for coming along, Doc."

A pause. It was deliberating. She could sense his tension from where she was. She could read him better in the quiet dark. Like his thoughts were tumbling out of his head and right onto her lap. He recognized she was being genuine, but wasn't sure for what.

"Me, or the Other Guy?" His voice was darker than the room, but gentle in a peculiar way. As if he knew the answer but wanted her to voice it. She was a little annoyed that he had deflected her, but all things considered, he really was in a position to do so. She was an agent, after all.

"Well, I don't know if that blanket would have fit the Other Guy, to be completely honest. And finding a disguise might've been a bit of trouble, but I'm sure I would've come up with something."

There was another pause now, but the weight of it was different. He was deciding on something.

A soft chuckle, the sort that came from the chest. "Good night, Agent Romanoff."

"Natasha" she said, as quietly as he said good night.

She could see the vague outline of his head giving a nod in the dark. "Good night, Natasha."

"Good night Bruce."


	3. Tanks and Trains

_Gotta get up,_

_Gotta get up,_

_Move!_

* * *

"This one here, Banner."

"Oh, my bad." He turned around and squeezed into the carriage she nodded towards. Natasha followed after and shut the door. They were surrounded by a bountiful amount of empty seats, all paid for by SHIELD. No one would bother them.

She took one by the window on the left side of the train, and Bruce took the aisle. "Leg room," he explained.

They didn't bring much in the way of luggage. Bruce traveled light, and she wasn't expecting to be in Calcutta for more than a few hours.

It was around 8 AM, and the trip to Dhaka would be about 9 hours. Natasha was somewhat annoyed that Fury couldn't pick them up with one of those handy-dandy quinjets of his, but she understood why he didn't. They had been compromised in a big way, and Ross would be on the lookout for just about everything.

She leaned her head back into her chair and closed her eyes, only for a little. "Maybe we should invest in teleportation."

Bruce lifted his head away from his headrest and looked at her. "Huh?"

"You know, teleportation. You're here one second and then there the next. It'd make life easier." She made a little motion with her hands. It must have looked ridiculous, but she wouldn't know. Her eyes were closed.

Bruce chuckled. "Is that a proposition? I make you a, uh, teleportation machine and you don't involve me in this mess at all?"

Natasha opened her eyes and faced him. A smirk. "I'm starting to get the feeling you don't like me."

He grimaced slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. It's just…" He waved his hands, pointing out the distinct absence of other people. "The spy games…" A shrug.

She'd made some progress with him last night, and Natasha wasn't about to squander that by letting him think too much about what he was giving up to help them.

"It's not what you'd think, really."

"Oh? Tell me what I think Agent Romanoff."

"Well it's not nearly as exciting as you'd like to imagine. You've got the fighting and the intrigue and the dispatching of enemies, sure. That's true. We've got plenty of toys and gizmos and stuff. The hierarchies are mostly right. Bosses that clue you in on everything but tell you nothing? Check."

"It's like they've watched all the movies."

"That's right. But the movies don't tell you about this." She nodded towards the train's ceiling. "All the waiting between the fun stuff."

The narrative about spies was one that was masterfully woven by people who understood that it was more palatable to show it as it really wasn't: fast paced, exciting. If you showed the waiting and all the in-between, people would come to see something they'd much rather not - espionage is just like any other job. You work, and then you take some time off and then you work again.

Nobody wants to believe that some people betray, kill, spy, and steal with the same ease, the same bored resignation that your IT guy updates the office computers.

Bruce leaned his head back onto the headrest and closed his eyes again. "So that's what it's like being a spy? A lot of waiting and a little bit of fun?"

She indulged him. "Got it in one, Doc. Your definition of fun might vary, though."

He hummed, as though actually contemplating it. Maybe he was. "So what's this? The waiting or the fun?"

She side-eyed him and a smile played on her face. The train started to move.

"Is there any particular reason you chose Calcutta, Doc?"

"It's really far."

Natasha groaned. "You're doing nothing for my curiosity, Bruce."

He shifted his position, sat up and faced her completely. One of his legs came up under an arm rest, which he tapped at with his fingers. "Well, distance was a factor. It's easier to go off the grid here, too. It's not war-torn, but there's enough room for me to help. To be… to do something nice for people."

"Where would you have gone after?"

"Who says I would have gone?"

She kept her gaze on him, amused.

He gave in. "Maybe Tokyo."

"Interesting choice."

"Not too long though, maybe just to visit. For a while."

She nodded, watched the train pass the city limits.

"Why'd you come?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well it seemed pressing."

"You could've said no."

He evaluated that statement. "I could have… but you said something about a lab?"

Natasha laughed. "Ha! Should have known I got dressed up for nothing. It was the science you wanted."

Bruce blushed a little. It was charming. "Not that I didn't appreciate the outfit, but I did miss the science."

"Didn't know you could have cravings for the Scientific Method."

His voice took a teasing tenor. "Well, it's not what you'd think, really."

She played her part. "Oh? Tell me what I think Dr. Banner."

"Well it's not nearly as boring as you'd like to imagine. You've got the paperwork and the sleepless all-nighters, sure. That's true. The snotty colleagues are there, too. Plus the lingo."

"Wow, it's like they've watched all the movies."

He smiled. "That's right. But the movies don't tell you about the excitement of making a breakthrough. The, uh, the rush of switching your perspective to approach a problem in an innovative way. The thrill of getting a project funded, of being on the vanguard of world-changing developments."

"Y'know, I think I'm starting to see some parallels between spying and science."

He snorted, and leaned back into his chair.

She had an idea, for a moment. It slipped out before she thought better of it. "I have a colleague you might like to meet."

"Is their first name Agent?"

"He wishes. Ever heard of Tony Stark?"

"Rings a bell."

"You'd get along great."

"I doubt it. I'm not very…" he smiled ruefully. "I'm not very good at getting close to people."

She nodded. The train kept moving.

"Get some rest, Doc. There's going to be plenty of sleep-less and science-y days ahead for you to exhaust yourself on."

Bruce shook his head, cast his eyes around the carriage. "Anything can happen."

"I'll keep watch."

"It's fine, I can stay up until we get there."

She touched his forearm and looked into his eyes. "Trust me, Bruce."

Natasha kept her hand there until he tore his eyes away from hers and nodded.

He removed his glasses, put them inside his shirt pocket, and soon she was alone. The train kept moving.

**/\**

The train stopped in Darshana for twenty minutes. Or that was what the schedule said. It's been about twenty five.

She nudged at the sleeping scientist, whose hair was a mess of darkness on his head. He curled into himself a little in his sleep.

"Bruce, I'm going to need you to wake up now. Something's wrong."

He was up and moving faster than expected. "They're here?"

She wasn't sure, but she gave him her hypothesis. "Train's been stopped five minutes too long."

"Maybe they're over-crowded?" He didn't sound hopeful.

She guided him to the middle row of seats, made him sit. "It's awfully quiet for an over-crowded train isn't it?"

The electricity went out. Light filtered in through the windows and given that it was only about 10AM Natasha wasn't too concerned about visibility, but Bruce looked antsy.

"Alright big guy, we've got this."

He nodded, and she knew he didn't quite believe her. Oh well. She could work with that.

Natasha walked towards the window she was nearest to. The station was completely empty, and it was completely quiet.

She moved towards the carriage door in the front and found it was locked. "They're trying to draw us out."

"So what do we do?"

Natasha mulled it over. She moved towards the back door, and checked the knob. It was open. They were the last carriage, so walking through that door would lead them right out.

She turned to Bruce and her lips took an ironic form. "We wait."

She took a seat right next to Bruce in the middle row. "I'm pretty sure they cut off air conditioning so hang tight, Doc."

"Are we…." He trailed off. "So the plan is to have them come to us?"

Bruce didn't like that plan.

"Well that's half the plan."

"That's the waiting half. What's the fun half, Agent Romanoff?"

She had no clue, but she was starting to put one together.

"Oh, you know," her voice was husky, her volume low, "just spy stuff."

She tapped away at her phone while Bruce started doing some breathing exercises. "Does it work?"

He continued his exercise. "Somewhat. Are you getting back-up?"

"I'm trying, but Fury is hesitant to take on the US Armed Forces."

"Yeah? Me too."

She snorted and put away her phone. She listened. It was silent save for Bruce's breathing, and the air was perfectly still. She could hear leaves rustling just outside. And then… a click.

She turned to him. "Get ready. Follow my lead. Got it?"

He nodded, but didn't say anything.

Natasha found herself dearly wishing for her tactical suit as she pulled out her gun. She kept low, and motioned for Bruce to do the same. Anybody who looked into the train carriage would see nothing.

She kept to the middle in order to minimize visibility, but ultimately they were probably surrounded. They'd have to take a risk.

"Bruce," she said, "we're going to have to make some choices. From what I know, we're surrounded. They've locked the front carriage exit, but the back is open. They're expecting us to go through there.

"See that hatch over there?" She pointed up at the roof from between two seats. Bruce spied it faintly.

"I see it."

"That's our best option. They could still fire at us, but right now things aren't looking great anyways."

Bruce smiled. "Things never go great." He started getting up.

"Wait." She put a hand on his shoulder, watched the windows. The soldiers were getting closer. She needed them close enough that they couldn't clearly see anything that would be on the roof, but not close enough they could see through the windows of the train.

"My mission is to deliver you to Fury safely, Doc. Don't be a hero."

"No worries there, Agent Romanoff. I'm just a scientist. Ready to go?"

She looked outside one more time. "Lab-coats first."

Bruce made his way just under the hatch, keeping low to the ground until he was right under it. He jumped up and pulled it down. A small ladder unraveled and hit the floor with a muted _thunk_.

He began his climb up, carefully, and she moved close as well. She kept her gun up, watched the back door. She could see the soldiers approaching the train faster now, guns drawn.

"I'm up." Banner's face looked down at her from the hatch, daylight silhouetting him.

She worked her way up the rope ladder deftly, and pulled it back up as soon as she was on the roof. She closed the hatch gently, careful not to make noise.

She could hear the soldiers just beneath them, getting ready to attack the carriage. Bruce was a small ways ahead of her, crouched and waiting for her. Natasha came up next to him, careful not to touch the roof too much. The metal sizzled with heat at contact.

Natasha spoke quietly. "Watch, and do the same."

The gap to land on the next carriage wasn't that big, but she'd have to jump a little.

She didn't make much noise as she landed, and she moved forward far enough to give Bruce space to jump.

Sweat dripped down his face, and his eyes were scrunched up in the face of sunlight. He jumped across, and failed to land with as much grace as she did. That said, he did land, which counted for something.

The noise of his impact was masked by the sound of glass breaking as the soldiers tried to smoke them out. They'd be waiting a little bit.

"Let's move, Banner."

They moved across one carriage and then the next. Soon enough, sweaty and with bright red hands, they made it to the very first carriage. The soldiers were inspecting the carriage they had abandoned. Getting back on the ground was a matter of jumping off the roof, which wasn't too bad. Bruce didn't complain.

Natasha kept her gun handy and checked the conductor's cabin. Empty. She smiled a little. Thank God for small graces.

The train station was an empty field, more or less. There was a building with some soda machines, a bathroom, and a ticket stall, but that was just about it. The rest of it was long blades of grass for at least a mile, up to where the town of Darshana lay.

"I've got a plan." She entered the cabin completely, locked all the entrances as Bruce followed.

"You didn't have one before?"

"I'm going to start the train, and then we're jumping off."

Bruce's face was picture-worthy. "We're jumping off?"

"Yes."

"While it's moving."

"Actually," she said, looking over the control board, "change of plan."

"Well that's good."

"You're starting the train, and then we're jumping off."

He sighed, and started inspecting the console. "I'm turning green today, aren't I?"

She paused to look at him. "No. You're not."

He glanced at her, briefly, and started the train. Or something like that. It began moving slowly.

"Can it go any faster?"

Bruce raised his eyebrow. "It's a train."

Natasha eyed soldiers starting to run their way, even as the train picked up speed they were gaining.

One of them yelled something and bullets started whizzing past them. "What a waste of bullets."

"Don't tell them that," Bruce said. He watched the console, silently willing it to pick up speed.

Natasha palmed the hilt of her firearm. The train was picking up speed, and soon enough the soldiers couldn't quite catch up. She looked through the window into the carriage on the inside. Soldiers were approaching from inside the train. That wasn't good.

She took a position right by Bruce on the console and looked for any button that looked like a door. She found it, and clicked it experimentally. The soldiers approaching were locked three whole carriages down. The train was moving quickly now, and it would be time for them to jump soon.

"Now's the fun part, Bruce."

"I think I've decided that any parallels you've come up with between science and spying are total bullshit, Agent."

"Really? What's the difference?"

"This is more dangerous."

"And here I was thinking that experimenting with a super-serum and gamma radiation were pretty risky tasks."

"That's… that's actually a fair point."

She opened up the door on the right. Wind rushed into the cabin, going straight for her hair. And his, for that matter. "Ready?" She offered a hand.

Bruce took it. They jumped.

Everything considered, it wasn't her worst landing. Except that it probably wasn't one of Bruce's finest, and given she was holding his hand, they both shared in the pain of the landing. It wasn't terrible, since they landed on grass, but it wasn't particularly fun.

Her arm was bloody from a scrape with some pebbles, and Bruce's nice purple shirt was probably out of commission too. He was bleeding lightly from the side of his abdomen, where the shirt was ripped.

They stayed there for a little, staring up at the sky and catching up on breathing before she got up and pulled Bruce further into the grass fields. His eyes were flecked with green.

He joked anyways, "I've always wanted to do that."

She chuckled, but it was dry. She wanted some water. "Weird thing to have on your bucket list."

"Well I watched a lot of westerns as a kid, so…"

They walked on, Bruce limped ever-so-slightly. Her leg hurt too, now that she thought about it. "You're full of surprises, Doc."

He huffed as they trekked towards Darshana's town center. "I've got a really compelling reason to keep my cool."

"Yeah?"

"You promised me a nice lab."

She really did chuckle then. They began moving towards Darshana.

They reached it by noon. It took them a little longer than it would have if they followed the main road, but on account of the fact that they were trying to out-maneuver the US Army, they had to take a rough path.

Bruce got them both a water bottle, for which she was grateful. She could have used some food too, but they were a little too pressed for time to be picky about those things. Though she did manage to swipe some pastries.

The scientist munched on his. "Do we try to find a place to stay until Fury comes to get us?"

Natasha shook her head. She guided him to an alley, keeping an eye out as she ate. "We keep moving. Fury's not coming to collect us here. He's arranging for a town a few miles from here."

"So we take a bus?"

"I don't think that's quite the plan."

He considered that. "Do you think they'll find us here?"

"I'm sure they know. Right now, the guys on the train have probably figured out no one's conducting. And regardless, Ross would do a sweep of the area. They're just collecting themselves. We have to go."

He finished his pastry. "I'm ready when you are."

She pulled up a map on her phone. She'd be out of battery soon enough. "We're going to that little town over there."

Bruce nodded. It was far away, but he wasn't precious about walking long distances. That helped.

**/\**

It was around six in the afternoon, and they were about fifteen minutes away from the town Fury had selected for their escape to happen. So far, nothing had gone amiss.

There wasn't much around them except for the occasional house. There were a few abandoned industrial buildings, though, and it was just as they were coming up on one right ahead that they heard the helicopters.

"Shit." Bruce said, looking up at the sky. The sun was still up, but it was mellow, beginning a quick downwards descent.

They started jogging, then running towards the abandoned structure as the helicopters approached.

It was made of cement bricks, reaching two stories tall. There was no light, or furniture. There wasn't even a concrete floor on the ground level, just dirt. Weeds managed to sparsely decorate a few nooks here and there, but plant-life still hadn't made its way inside. Mostly it was dark and humid. Banner's glasses fogged up as they scouted the place for a hiding spot in case they had been seen by the helicopters.

Rusted machinery replaced furniture, and Natasha wished they had somewhere to sit. Just for a minute, at least. She kept moving.

"Natasha," Bruce whispered, "I think we should go upstairs." His voice echoed. He was probably right, but she worried about the presence of a ceiling on the second floor. Would they be visible?

They stepped carefully towards the stairs. They definitely looked like a safety hazard, but getting rushed by a unit of soldiers was also generally considered a safety hazard, so she took it.

The steps were wooden, and creaked as she climbed them. Natasha cringed, but kept going up. Bruce followed.

It was dark, and so quiet that she could hear his clothes scrape against the wall. Finally, they reached the top. Light filtered in through the windows, windows that were just square holes in the wall. Any glass that once existed there was gone.

"I think we should stay here for a bit. Until they pass us by."

Mercifully, there was a ceiling.

Bruce nodded and sat down by a wall that wasn't covered in graffiti, just under a window. She took one opposite of him. She faced the stairs.

It was a relief to finally sit down. She offered Bruce a weak smile. It wasn't the toughest mission she's been on, not by a long shot, but walking for miles and miles without very many breaks would test anyone's patience.

Also, the shoes she was wearing wouldn't have been her first choice. She really missed her tac suit.

"And now, the waiting again." Bruce's voice was low, ironic, and pleasant. There hadn't been much speaking for most of the way. She wasn't used to being with a… target? Well, for lack of a better word, Natasha wasn't used to being with a target for this long on a mission. Even when she was partnered with Clint, there were long expanses of comfortable silence as they focused on the mission. For the most part, they could cue each other without speaking.

Banner wasn't used to talking much period, but somehow the silence wasn't entirely uncomfortable either. Maybe target wasn't quite the right word. He'd turned out to be more of a partner in this whole ordeal. Or maybe a trainee.

"Y'know, if we manage to get out of this one Doc, I think you'll officially qualify for Spy School."

He chuckled softly. "Well, I-"

Bruce was interrupted by the sound of a loudspeaker. "Dr. Banner, this is Sergeant Arnold speaking, on behalf of the Army of the United States. I'm going to ask that you exit the building with your arms raised. You're under arrest by the directive of General Ross. You have five minutes."

Bruce's eyes met her, and she caught his panic. "It's okay, we'll figure this out, Bruce. Just like last time."

He shifted onto his knees and waited for her call. She didn't need to take his pulse to know his heart rate was elevated.

She took a moment to check her phone. One percent battery. She shot off a text to Fury before it shut down on her. She clenched her jaw and got up. She moved right by the side of a window and peeked out. The Sergeant was in the front with a squad of men. Surely they couldn't have just come with a team?

Natasha checked the window on the other side and said "Shit."

"What is it?" Bruce was on his feet.

There were three tanks stationed in the back of the building. She would bet that there were two more on either side. The helicopter circled overhead. Where'd they even get tanks?

"Jesus Christ." Bruce was getting antsy.

Natasha defaulted to a joke, but she knew that wouldn't do anything for him now. "Hey Bruce, listen to me. You're going to be okay, alright? I promised you. But we should evaluate our options."

Half of her job was evaluating options. Confronted with any situation, the amount of responses she could offer were limitless. If she didn't limit them fast enough, the price was death. Sometimes it felt like an eternity in her head, weighing every scenario, even if it only took a second.

This time it didn't feel like an eternity at all. The options had been limited for them.

He nodded, rubbed his hands together. Didn't trust himself to speak. She was close to him, kept contact with his forearm. "It might be prudent to surrender and recoup."

That wasn't an offer. It was the only viable choice.

Bruce shook his head, removed her hand and started pacing. "Agent Romanoff, I don't think you understand… that's not a good idea."

The fear in his eyes, the pain, the utter terror of what he expected gave her all the explanation she needed. Natasha understood. Maybe better than anyone.

But it was still the best option. "Bruce…"

"Please."

"I don't know if we have a choice."

She thought about it. That wasn't strictly true. There was one more, but…

Bruce caught her train of thought. "If I Hulk out you'll be a casualty, Agent. He doesn't care what side anybody's on."

She said nothing, watched him decide.

"If I surrender, you'll come get me?"

"If we surrender, Doc. I don't really trust anybody else at SHIELD to break us out competently. The only guy I would trust for that is currently playing bodyguard to a blue cube. So if you go in, I go in."

The loudspeaker crackled again. "Dr. Banner, we're sending in a unit of men to arrest you. Any hostile action will result in reciprocal treatment."

Guns loaded outside.

She tried for a smile. "We'll be out in no time, okay?"

Bruce nodded, his head bowed down.

Natasha heard the stairs creak and came to stand by Bruce. She went to take his hand, but it was shaking. She looked up to his eyes again and saw green, kept under iron-clad control. Bruce's entire being rebelled at the idea of surrendering. Frankly, she was afraid for him.

If he turned into the Hulk, he would be spared experimentation. If he turned into the Hulk... she would die.

There would be no way to convince him to let go. She'd come to know that much about him over the past few days. He'd keep the rage boiling under his skin until there wasn't any skin left if it meant sparing her life.

She had half a plan and it was stupid and risky and it would get her killed. Damn Banner and his stupid eyes. She'd have to trust him in order to trick him into saving his own ass.

And if it did work, maybe she'd survive the Hulk too. If the plan didn't work… at least she was in control.

A soldier appeared, gun pointed at them.

She pulled her gun out and shot at the wall next to him.

He fired back. His aim was perfect.

"Natasha!"

She was on the ground, her gun a few feet away. In front of her was Bruce, lying in a pool of blood on the floor. A bullet hole marked his chest.

"Bruce?" Her voice cracked. For a flicker of a moment, she was afraid that he was dead. Then the screams started. It was horrifying, and the soldier who shot Banner widened his eyes, started backing away. His unit kept their heads though, and began firing at the form that started twisting from what would have been Banner's corpse.

Natasha scurried away, made herself as small as possible by a corner, away from the gunfire.

The screaming settled into a growling. The ground shook with the weight of lumbering steps.

"Back away now! Get downstairs! Somebody give the order to fire!"

Hulk roared and she felt it in her bones, her heart accelerating to match. He leapt towards the soldiers. Their bullets didn't even pierce skin.

Hulk's hand broke through the concrete wall and he snatched a soldier that was about to escape, threw him against the opposite wall. Natasha heard the crack from where she was.

The others started screaming, and the one nearest Hulk was on the receiving end of a ferocious kick. He flew right out the window and onto a tank. He didn't live either.

Hulk roared at the idiots still firing at him and jumped up. The back of his neck dented the ceiling and the floor gave out under his weight when he landed. The surrounding section of the second level collapsed.

A moment of quiet stillness. Dust decorated the air, and even the particles held perfectly still.

Then he roared again. There was firing, but not from guns. The tanks had started their assault.

Natasha watched as the armored vehicles did their very best to fend him off, but their projectiles only hindered him. His skin was a forest green, covered in blood and debris, which would have made him an easy target if he wasn't moving so damn fast. He jumped around with vigorous agility, assaulting the vehicles. He grabbed one by the gun, and lifted it up. He threw it - oh shit.

Natasha dove for the other corner as the tank came flying towards her building. She didn't have too much room to move, given that Hulk had collapsed half the floor, but it'd have to be enough. The tank crashed through the wall she had just abandoned, and right out the other. The building shook and part of the roof on the other side of the room gave in.

She heard the tank explode as it landed right in front of the Sergeant, who was quickly preparing an evacuation. He fired up his vehicle and hauled ass back to Darshana. Hulk was too busy playing with the tanks to notice him, and she didn't care enough to fire at his fleeing form.

She took the time to collect herself, and she couldn't help the laugh that came out of her. It had worked.

She laughed until there were tears in her eyes. This was one story she couldn't wait to tell Clint and Laura. Banner would hate it. And speaking of Banner… she moved to the front of the building, where there was a tank-sized chunk of bricks missing. Hulk was down there, grunting and kicking at metal.

Her heart picked up as the Hulk felt her gaze. Maybe she laughed too soon. He roared at her, and Natasha flinched a little, her hand going to her hip, when she realized her gun was gone. Probably somewhere in the rubble downstairs.

The Hulk moved closer to the building, looking up at her. She crouched down, and put her hand up. She said the first thing that came to mind. "Hey big guy."

Her voice came out lower than she hoped, but she was still a little shaken. He heard her anyways. Hulk narrowed his eyes, took a step closer to the building, then grunted. He turned around and roared.

He looked back at her one more time before grunting again, and leaping off into the distance. Natasha watched him go, letting herself sink down to the floor. Her legs dangled on the edge of the second floor. Only then did she notice the pain on her left side. One of her ribs was broken. Maybe Banner pushed her away from the bullet a little more strongly than he had meant to.

She saw Hulk's silhouette flash once more as the last remnants of the sun's light withdrew. Then he was gone, at least a mile away.

"Yeah, sure, big guy. You can go. I'll just be here. Sun's getting real low anyways."

Natasha held her abdomen as she walked downstairs. She ignored the bodies, sidestepped the debris of torn-apart tanks.

The quinjet was waiting on the outskirts of town.


End file.
